


One Last Kiss

by treya_barton



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 08:33:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17220506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treya_barton/pseuds/treya_barton
Summary: This is a belated Christmas present to Novallion who is both one of my favorite writers and artists.  I asked her to send me an ask and she choose “Can I get one last kiss?” from Noctis to Prompto.  I hope you like it Nova ^^





	One Last Kiss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PaopuNova](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaopuNova/gifts).



Prompto always knew things wouldn’t last forever between him and the Crown Prince.  They went from best friends in high school to boyfriends in college after Noctis’s very exasperated retainer Ignis finally forced them to confess after being tired of watching both of them dance around their feelings for each other.  It had been great at first, and felt _right_ if Prompto was honest with himself, but he always knew it would be a short lived thing.  Noctis was a prince with expectations, while Prompto was his commoner school friend – there was no way with his responsibilities and expectations to continue the family line things would last forever, no matter how much Regis seemed to like him.  So, when Noctis finally said the words right after their college graduation and right before he would be leaving for a royal tour prior to taking on more responsibility, Prompt felt he really should have been more prepared for it. 

Instead when Noctis asked, “Can I get one last kiss?” and leaned in, Prompto froze, barely registering the brush of his former boyfriend’s lips.

“So…this is goodbye after all,” Prompto said, almost to himself, and Noctis tilted his head slightly while giving him an odd look.

“Well, yeah, you knew it was coming,” he said, and it was almost as if he had read Prompto’s mind.  It still didn’t stop the blond from having to desperately mask how upset he was as it started to hit him that he and Noctis, the love of his life, were breaking up.  Noctis seemed to notice that Prompto wasn’t as cheerful as he was letting on, but he carefully protected his pride by not mentioning it.  “We’ll see each other when I get back – it’ll only be for a few weeks,” Noctis said, but by this point Prompto was barely hearing him.  He supposed it was nice Noctis still wanted to be friends, but he wasn’t sure if his heart could take that, especially not with the break up this fresh.

“Uh, yeah, sure buddy,” Prompto said, voice a bit high as it tended to get when he was upset, before lightly tapping Noctis’s shoulder with his fist.  “Welp, good luck on your trip,” he added lamely before making his escape, knowing if he stayed around the prince any longer he wouldn’t be able to hold himself together anymore.

The thing that Prompto felt first was a tightness in his chest and throat.  As he ran down the stairs of Noctis’s apartment, a place so full of memories from high school and college, memories of friendship, of pining, and then of their relationship, Prompto grit his teeth and refused to allow the tears threatening to spill to make it past where they were watering his eyes.  ‘Not here,’ he promised himself. 

Once he got to the bottom of the stairs, he quickly made his way to the subway station.  Unlike Noctis who needed motor vehicle transportation due to his status, Prompto who had lived in Insomnia his whole life still didn’t see the need for a car with the cost of parking in the city so expensive.  Usually he had no issues scheduling around the very punctual train system in the city, although today he was feeling the lack of personal transportation as he did his best to keep his face from showing the turmoil in his heart.  Prompto was usually good at hiding his anxiety with a smile, but he was miserably failing today and instead hid his face on the crook of his arm that he was using to grip the strap in order to brace himself during the trip. 

Once he finally got home, he didn’t know what to do.  His need to cry had subsided on the train due to sheer will, but instead he felt both empty and restless at the same time.  It was getting dark outside though, and he didn’t really feel like weaving between people on the busy streets at night, preferring to do his runs early in the morning when most people were still asleep.  Insomnia was a city aptly named.  Prompto thought listening to music might help and for a few minutes he had music playing from his phone, but instead of enjoying it he found himself pacing around the room and skipping songs not even halfway through, none of the music seeming to match his mood. 

So, he gave up and tossed his phone on his bed before throwing himself down after it, staring up at the ceiling listlessly as he recounted the feeling of Noctis’s lips against his own after he had said those words that Prompto now hated.  ‘Who breaks up with a kiss?’ he thought miserably, unconsciously biting down on his lip as he thought about that smile that Noctis saved specifically for him, warm and bright and different from the usual shy, reserved one in front of others he didn’t know well.  That led Prompto down the dangerous path of thinking about carefree laughs and mischievous eyes as his best friend came up with some new way to tease him, which cause his chest to suddenly grow tight again as the unshed tears from earlier welled up in his eyes. 

Where would this leave him?  Would he have that closeness with Noct again?  Would those midnight blue eyes seek his out across the room, needy hands grab for him when he was grumpy and tired, perfect lips smile at the dumb thing he said?  In the safety of his own room, Prompto finally let go of the tight hold he had on his emotions, letting them spill out as hot tears as he painfully sobbed into the Chocobo plush Noctis had won for him from the arcade.  Prompto cried until he had no more tears to shed, leaving himself feeling empty and drained but still unable to sleep. 

He let out a deep sigh before sitting up, knowing that his face was probably a red, teary mess, and got up to grab a glass of water before washing his face and looking through the fridge for something to eat.  He wasn’t terribly hungry but knew he still had to eat something at least.  He settled for peanut butter toast and an apple, before going upstairs to grab his phone.  Unsurprisingly there was no message from Noctis, but there was one from Ignis asking why he hadn’t been there to see Noctis off for the trip.  Prompto worried his lip again as he tried to come up with an excuse that the retainer wouldn’t see right through, surprised that Noctis hadn’t told Ignis about their breakup.  Maybe he didn’t want to talk about it to anyone yet?  Prompto sent back that he had been called into work and was upset that he had to miss it, before he scrolled through his social media feeds, wincing at the articles surrounding the prince’s trip. 

He set down his phone, vowing that he would wait for Noctis to message first and let him know how he wanted things to proceed from here, figuring he would wait to talk to their mutual friends about it until then.  Prompto’s heart sank at the thought, since honestly the friends he had gained over the years had been through Noct, and while he knew that they wouldn’t stop being his friend just because they both had broken up, he still couldn’t help but have that slight nagging feeling that it may happen gradually anyway.  Prompto’s chest tightened again at the thought, and he suddenly found it hard to breath for a moment until he ducked his head down and forced steadying breaths through his lungs.  He’d survived before without Noct and he’d survive again, he decided.  He went back to his phone again and checked the work schedule app, noting that there were some shifts available to pick up, and he quickly tapped to accept them.  Working would definitely help him keep his mind off of things and it wasn’t like he couldn’t use the extra cash anyway.  Prompto was used to handling difficult situations on his own, even if his friends had been trying to break him of the habit, and he’d just have to rely on that again until he could hopefully move on.

Over the next few days, Prompto tried his best to remain busy and not think about Noctis.  He got up early for his run, ate a small breakfast consisting of a granola bar or oatmeal and some water like he usually did, then dashed off to work his double shift at the local print shop.  It was the job that had gotten him through college, and although it didn’t pay great, he got discounts on printing his own stuff which was really helping with his portfolio.  He was working on sending out applications to get freelance photography work and was trying to save up to buy a domain so he could have his own website showcasing his work.  Noctis had subtly told him on several occasions that he could recommend him to a few studios and publications to help him get a job, but Prompto was stubborn about not using his boyfriend’s…best friend’s influence.  He took pride in his photography and wanted his work to speak for itself.  He felt better about that now in the wake of what had just happened.

After a long day at work, Prompto would return home in order to look for freelance work to apply for, hoping to take on a project that he may be able to throw himself into, before leaving to take some pictures in the late afternoon lighting that he loved so much.  Then, because he didn’t have Noctis keeping him up like usual with his messages or phone calls, he would go to bed early in order to do it all over again the next day.  Prompto thought he had gotten himself into a pretty good rhythm and was well on his way to getting over Noct, when on one of his late evening walks, he encountered one of the stray cats Noctis was always feeding when they were out together, the prince doing his best to look incognito in his dark baseball cap and puffy jacket.  Before Prompto even knew what he was doing, he had set down his camera and pulled out his phone to snap a picture, message already pulled up to send to Noctis.  Prompto sucked in a breath, staring at the last messages exchanged between him and Noctis days ago when the prince had asked him to his apartment before he left, and he quickly slid his phone back into his pants with trembling fingers.

The cat seemed to recognize him from always hanging around with Noctis, and maybe because it thought that he had food or wanted attention, it carefully made its way over to him before rubbing its head against his pants and looking up expectantly at him.  Prompto stared down at it, eyebrows furrowed together as his mind raced with thoughts of the dark haired prince, before slowly reaching forward and scratching the cat’s ears and chin, smiling with a hint of sadness as the cat began purring and settled down next to him. 

“Damn it,” Prompto whispered to himself, covering his mouth with his free hand, the corner of his mouth turned down into a frown as he felt himself hit by a wave of grief again.  He suddenly couldn’t help it and pulled out his phone, scrolling through his messages and stopping between Gladio and Ignis, weighing the pros and cons before shooting Gladio a text asking how things were going.  He hadn’t heard from either of them either since Ignis sent that message about him not showing up to see Noctis off, but he knew that whenever Noctis travelled they were much busier and focused on his protection.

To his surprise Gladio messaged back pretty quickly, simply replying that things were “Good.”  It was so typical of the older man who always sent short texts, especially when on the job, but would also occasionally get excited and ramble on about camping or the current book he was reading.  Prompto didn’t know why but he couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved that things were going well on the trip, even if Noctis had dumped him beforehand, and had just been about to slide his phone back into his pocket, satisfied with his choice to message Gladiolus, when his phone buzzed with a follow up message.  “Noct’s free too.  Could probably use the distraction,” he messaged, and Prompto’s fingers stilled from where he had been petting the cat, the stray looking up at him balefully and swatting at his hand for him to continue.

Prompto looked sheepishly down at the cat, quickly returning to stroking its back, before he returned his attention back to the message.  Gladio had seen that he had read it, so he couldn’t just ignore it, nor could he take too long to reply.  It still bewildered him that Noctis hadn’t told Ignis and Gladio, who were as close to him as brothers, what had happened.  ‘Maybe he wants to wait until after the trip is over,’ he thought.  He instead messaged back that he wouldn’t want to bother him and that he probably needed a rest, before firmly stuffing his phone back into his pocket so he wouldn’t risk Gladio seeing that he had read his messages again.  He’d just skim the notifications later if he replied.  Prompto gave the cat a final scratch before picking up his camera and standing back up, his enthusiasm for his shoot dimmed as he instead trudged back home.  After all his hard work carefully scrolling pass news articles and tuning out tv stations talking about the prince’s trip, his own habits had tripped him up and thrown him back to square one. 

Prompto reached his house, placing his camera on the kitchen table before heading up to the bathroom and quickly starting a hot shower.  He wished Noctis would at least tell their friends so they would know about what had happened and make it easier for him to talk to them.  This uncertainty was driving him crazy.  As Prompto allowed the hot, steamy water to work warmth back into his cold, clammy skin, he thought again about what would be happening when Noctis returned from his trip in a few days.  The prince had mentioned seeing him when he got back, which to Prompto meant he wanted to remain friends.  But…  Prompto was a little forceful as he lathered the shampoo into his hair, mind racing as he weighed his options.  He wasn’t sure if he could just be friends with Noctis again, at least not yet.  He knew the moment he laid eyes on the dark haired man he’d just break down again – he already had to clear his room of all the many things that reminded him of his best friend, leaving his room pretty bare in the aftermath.  He had just shoved them into his closet for now, not quite ready to completely part with them just yet.  That even included the video games that they played together; he hadn’t even touched King’s Knight since they had broken up.

Prompto finished his shower and toweled off before pulling on the sweats and tank top he usually slept in.  He grabbed his phone and was surprised to not just see messaged from Gladio, but also Ignis.  Gladio basically wrote that Noctis was sulking, and Prompto couldn’t help but feel a flare of annoyance at that, when the prince had broken his heart.  ‘Let him sulk,’ he thought with a frown, before switching over to Ignis’s message.  Ignis was carefully asking if he was alright, adding that he had noticed that he hadn’t messaged any of them since Noctis had left.  Prompto’s eyebrows furrowed together and he let a sigh before setting his phone in his lap.  He knew lying to Iggy would be even more difficult than Gladio and scrunched his nose as he thought.

“I’ve been busy,” he wrote back.  “Picked up a lot of shifts while you guys are away.”

To his surprise, Ignis read the message right away, and began the antagonizing moment where Prompto could tell he was typing something but probably taking his time to reply since it showed him typing and then stopping several times.  Prompto felt his heart pound in anticipation as he watched, knowing that when Ignis was trying so hard to choose his words it meant he was suspecting something.

Finally, his response came through, and Prompto felt relief flood him.  “Understandable with Noct away.  Try not to work too hard and make sure you’re properly eating.  We will all be home soon.”

The last part left Prompto with some anxiety, but it looked like Ignis had believed his message at least.  It was based on truth, although not for the reason Ignis had intuited from his response.  Prompto had to admit though if they had still been dating he may have ended up doing the same thing, but he would have definitely been sending a slew of text messages to them while they were away.  Instead, the only people he had interacted with were customers, coworkers, and some people who commented on his social media posts.  It felt strange and disconnected not speaking to Gladio, Ignis, and Noctis, or Iris and the other Crownsguard that surrounded Noctis on a daily basis.  Prompto sat on his bed, arms crossed while he jiggled his leg unconsciously and stared out his window.  He didn’t know what he was going to do when Noctis got back.  Especially since…  Prompto sighed and fell back onto his bed. 

He missed the bratty jerk.  Even if the guy was sulking because he didn’t want to talk after he broke up with him.  Noctis was the first friend Prompto ever made, and he understood Prompto like no one else.  He accepted him, flaws and all, and had told Prompto on numerous occasions that he was the only person in his life he got to choose for himself.  And yet.  Prompto sighed, looking over at the closet where all of their memories were unceremoniously shoved.  He got up and wandered over, opening the door and grabbing that fat chocobo plush Noctis had won for him.  He headed back to his bed, curling up and clutching it to his chest.  And yet Noctis had still, for whatever reason, given up on him.  Was prepared to choose another path without him.  And that stung more than anything else.  Prompto took a long time to fall asleep that night, and was surprise when he woke up to the alarm on his phone, the chocobo plush still firmly clutched in his arms.  It smelled vaguely of Noctis because Prompto always secretly squirted his cologne on the plush whenever he could.  Prompto breathed in the scent deeply, closing his eyes as he did so and imagining for a moment Noctis was there with him and the breakup had all been a simple nightmare.  When he opened his eyes again, disappointment flashed across his face when he was yet again faced with an empty room.

Prompto set the chocobo aside before getting ready for work, tired at the thought of facing another long day.  Maybe he’d hold off on taking on more extra shifts for a few days – he was suddenly feeling exhausted.  The rest of the week passed in a dull blur, Prompto doing his tasks on autopilot instead of with the same cheerful enthusiasm he usually did.  His regulars asked in concern if he was feeling alright, while his boss gently told him to take a day off and recoup, obviously picking up that there was something off.  So Prompto found himself lounging in his room on the day Noctis was set to return, somehow unable to pull himself from his bed like he usually would.  Prompto was normally pretty energetic, and even on days when Noctis wanted to lounge about in his apartment, Prompto found himself unable to sit still and would wander around the apartment or switch up the activity they were engaged in.  Noctis never seemed to mind his energy, and would watch him in amusement as he paced and gestured while he talked.  Prompto felt a dull thrum in his chest and frowned before rolling over and burying his face in the chocobo plush, the scent of Noctis almost completely faded by now.  Prompto didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing.

His wallowing was interrupted by his phone making a kweh sound, indicating that a text message had come through.  Prompto reached over for his phone and tapped the power button to light up the screen, expecting another message from Ignis or Gladio or possibly even his parents who checked in on him at least once a week.  He was startled to instead see a message from none other than Noctis, stating that he was back at his apartment and wondering where Prompto was.  Prompto’s eyes widened and he stared at the text notification on his lock screen, hand hovering above the pattern swipe that would get him into his phone. 

He set his phone down for a moment and sat up, running a hand through his unruly hair that he hadn’t bothered to style in days.  His heart beat rapidly as he stared around his room, mind racing.  Half of him wanted to ignore the message, but a bigger part of him wanted to see Noctis, see how he had been doing with them apart, see if he really wanted to remain friends because Prompto desperately missed him in spite of everything.  He bit his lip as he got up, going to his closet and pulling out some pants and one of his many sleeveless shirts, before wandering to the bathroom and staring at himself in the mirror.  He honestly looked awful but didn’t much feel like dressing up for the prince in his current mood.  Instead he brushed down his hair, causing it to look much as it did back in high school where hair product was against the school uniform, before splashing some water on his face so he at least looked more refreshed.  He then grabbed his phone, sending a simple “On my way,” before making his way out the door and to the subway. 

Prompto barely remembered his trip to Noctis’s apartment, feeling like one moment he blinked his eyes and the next he was there with no time to prepare for the confrontation that awaited him.  He bounced on the balls of his feet for a moment before finally ringing the bell, tapping his foot with his arms crossed as he tried his best not to look directly at the door.  Thus, when Noctis flung the door open and stepped forward to greet him, he was met with an obviously sleep deprived looking blond who was pretending to stare down the hall with a very closed off stance.  Noctis, who had obviously dressed up a little in slacks and a sweater vest, hair perfectly styled and appearing well rested, stared at Prompto in confusion, his arms slowly falling to his side from where they had obviously been ready for a warm embrace.  “Prompto, what’s wrong?” he asked, reaching forward to place a hand on his arm, eyes widening when Prompto flinched back.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Prompto said testily, before brushing past Noctis and heading into the apartment.  He sat down at the dining table instead of on the couch like they usually did, and Noctis closed his door before sitting down next to Prompto with a bewildered look on his face.

“You’re a terrible liar, Prom,” Noctis said.  “I thought you’d be happy to see me.  I mean, I know Iggy said you were busy and thought it was really weird you weren’t messaging anyway but…if I would have known something was going on…”

Prompto stared at Noctis incredulously.  “You of all people should know what’s going on,” he said, accusation in his voice.

“I…of all people?” Noctis stuttered, obviously at a loss.

“Does ‘Can I get one last kiss’ ring a bell?” Prompto replied, staring down at the table with his arms crossed.  Noctis could tell how tightly Prompto was wound right now – something that often happened around other people but never around just him.

Noctis stared at him for a long moment, before saying slowly, “Yeah, one last kiss before I left for my trip,” he said, the wheels suddenly turning in his head.  “What did you…? Did you think that I would ask you for a kiss and then _break_ _up_ with you?”  Noctis looked appalled at the idea, and Prompto could tell he was floored.

That put a serious dent in his righteous anger.  His crossed arms loosened as he stared back at Noctis, and the dark haired man felt his heart ache at the haunted look on his face.  “That’s…not what you meant?” he asked timidly, and Noctis could see all of the pain and hurt he had been experiencing the past two weeks cross his face.

“Of course not.  I love you,” Noctis replied adamantly, usually too shy to say the words so openly.  He ran his hand through his hair.  “I missed you so much these past two weeks but was so busy at first, then when Iggy said you picked up the other shifts I didn’t want to wear you out even more.  I know how you like to go to bed early,” he sighed.  “If I had known…shit.”

Prompto slumped down, suddenly feeling incredibly foolish and drained of energy.  All of his wavering emotions the past two weeks had taken a lot out of him, and he didn’t know what to do.  Noctis got out of his chair and stepped over, kneeling down and pulling Prompto into his arms.  Prompto slid out of the chair and onto Noctis’s lap, burying his head in his shoulder and breathing in his scent.  “So, you’re not going to tell me to remain just friends?” he asked, and Noctis chuckled weakly against his hair.

“No, Prom.  I was asking you over for a date, in case you couldn’t tell.  I feel like such a jerk now.  Why didn’t you say something?  To me or one of the others?  I could have fixed this if I had known,” he said, strong arms wrapped tightly around his best friend.  Prompto melted into his embrace, feeling relaxed for the first time since leaving Noctis’s apartment two weeks ago.

“I wanted to wait until you had obviously told them,” he said simply, and Noctis sighed.

“Astrals, I love you,” he murmured into Prompto’s ear, and he finally smiled.

“Even if I’m an idiot?” he asked, and Noctis chuckled.

“You’re not an idiot, Prom,” he said.

“I love you too,” Prompto replied.  “You broke my heart, even if you didn’t know it.”

Noctis gripped him tighter.  “Why would you think I even wanted to break up with you?” he asked hesitantly, and Prompto froze.  It looked like Noctis had read into his actions a little more than he had expected.  Prompto pulled away and Noctis looked at him patiently, hands resting gently on Prompto’s arms.  Prompto adjusted how he was sitting in Noctis’s lap so it would be more comfortable for both of them before taking a deep breath.

“You’re the prince,” he started, and Noctis’s brows furrowed.  “I’m just your common school buddy.”  Noctis opened his mouth to protest, and Prompto shook his head.  “I know that one day you’ll like have to marry a princess or something, and I’ll be back to being your best bud.”

Noctis’s hands gripped his arms a little tighter, before he replied, “That’s not true.”  Prompto stared at him, bottom lip trembling slightly.  Noctis let go of Prompto’s arms, hands trailing down to his thighs where he gently rested them.  “I may be heir to the throne, but I don’t have to marry some princess,” Noctis said, his mouth twitching slightly.  “Honestly the only princess around is Luna and that would be like marrying my sister.”

“But don’t you have to like have children?” Prompto asked.  “Especially to wield the crystal?”

Noctis tilted his head.  “We’re in a time of peace,” he explained.  “And dad’s told me there’s a way to bypass that which happens when I name an heir.  It doesn’t have to be by blood.”  Prompto’s eyes widened, especially as Noctis continued with that smile that tugged at his lips only around him.  “Besides, dad always spoils me and lets me have my way in the end.”

Prompto couldn’t help but laugh at that.  “Yeah, he does.  You’re a real brat, Noct,” he agreed, and Noctis grinned for a moment before his face became more serious.

“Besides,” he added.  “There was actually something I was planning on bringing up tonight.  Kind of why I got all dressed up,” he said nervously, running one hand along the back of his neck.  Prompto tilted his head.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“I wanted to ask you…to be my consort,” Noctis said.  “It’s a lot of work.  Like you’ll be stuck in a room with Iggy for hours hounding you about etiquette and my family’s history and whatever else he finds necessary.”  Prompto’s eyes widened and his mouth fell half open as Noctis continued to speak.  “I didn’t want to ask until I thought you were ready and didn’t want you to feel obligated because…” Noctis let out a breath.  “You’d basically be dedicating your life to the throne.  Like I am.  And I didn’t want to tie you down to that if you didn’t want to.”  His eyes were staring into Prompto’s searchingly, and Prompto suddenly regretted not at least styling his hair before he came.  Noctis was basically proposing and he looked like a mess.

“Dammit,” Prompto swore under his breath, hands curling up into fists where they rested on the floor.  “I can’t believe you’re asking me this when I look like shit.”

Noctis laughed, a loud, heartfelt sound that reverberated deep in his chest.  “I mean I can ask you again later if you want,” he said, suddenly looking more relaxed.  He already knew by the way Prompto was looking so tenderly at him what the answer was.  Even if it was tinged with annoyance by Noctis’s choice of timing.

“No, I want to give you my answer,” Prompto replied.  “Honestly, these past two weeks, I felt lost without you.  I couldn’t imagine a time without you in my life again.  I would be honored to be your consort, Noctis.  I think the moment I became your friend, at least part of my life was tied to the throne because you’re destined for it.”  He said it so sincerely, with violet blue eyes staring Noctis down so transparently, that Noctis couldn’t hold himself back from what he did next. 

He swept in, cupping Prompto’s freckled cheeks with his hands as he captured his slightly chapped lips with his own.  Prompto’s hands reached up to cover his, holding them in place as he kissed him back, sighing against Noctis’s lips and relishing in the way he tenderly explored his mouth.  Prompto had barely felt the last kiss and had been terrified it would truly be the one he had to remember Noctis by, so he couldn’t help but relish the moment, opening his mouth eagerly to give Noctis full access.  The prince did so with abandon, pressing Prompto against the chair as he leaned forward into the kiss, holding him like if he let go the blond would somehow disappear.  When they finally pulled apart, Noctis stared back at Prompto, midnight blue eyes almost navy in how dark they appeared, while Prompto’s eyes were half lidded as he stared back, lips a bit bruised from their make out session.  They were both panting heavily, as a guilty look crossed Noctis’s face. 

“I want you to really think about this,” he said.  “It’s honestly more responsibility than you’d think.  You’d have to give up your plans to do freelance photography – it can only be a hobby – and you’d be expected to run all these events and do charity work…”

Prompto reached out and gripped Noctis’s hands, quieting him.  “Noct, I’ve been your best friend for like 8 years.  I know what I’m getting myself into,” he said gently.  “And I’m willing to do all of that if it means staying with you.  Besides, if you can sneak away to go fishing, I know I can sneak way to snap some photos,” he grinned, and Noctis relaxed.

“Yeah,” he said.  “But you also will have to deal with Iggy in advisor mode.  For like hours each day.  Try not to hate me.”

Prompto laughed.  “I think if I could get past Iggy terrifying me all the time, I can handle him in the classroom.  Besides, I was always a better student than you,” he said proudly, and Noctis scoffed.

“Only because you’re a teacher’s pet,” he muttered, and Prompto grinned.  Noctis looked at him again, taking in his tired, sleep deprived eyes, pale skin, and flat, listless hair, and felt his heart melt.  Even though Prompto was obviously exhausted after his ordeal the past two weeks, Noctis couldn’t help but think he was the most handsome man he’d ever seen.  “Prince Consort Prompto Argentum has a nice ring to it,” Noctis said thoughtfully.  His eyes shined warmly as he regarded Prompto, already imaging him dressed in his family’s colors and crest with the crown resting on his head.  He always liked it when Prompto wore black, and found himself suddenly looking forward to the ceremony.

Prompto tried to look more excited, but let out a yawn as his exhaustion kicked in.  Noctis smiled, helping him up and tugging him into his room, where he threw him some sweats to change into for sleeping.  “Sorry,” Prompto said sleepily as he climbed into Noctis’s bed.

“Don’t be,” Noctis said. “You know sleeping is my favorite past time.”  Prompto snorted before burying his face into Noctis’s shoulder.

“Prince Consort, huh,” he said, mainly to himself, but he glanced up at Noctis all the same.  “Then you’ll really become, my prince,” he said, a soft smile gracing his face.  Noctis blushed at his statement, before quickly hiding his face on his pillow.

“Prompto,” he groaned, and his best friend grinned.  “You’re so cheesy!”

“It’s true though isn’t it?” he asked, and Noctis glanced up, softening at his hopeful expression.

“I already was your prince,” he said.  “But yeah, I guess everyone else will know too.”

Prompto looked happy at his reply and snuggled closer before closing his eyes.  He quickly drifted off, and Noctis stared at him fondly before pressing his lips into Prompto’s soft hair.  Because it was unstyled, it actually felt nice, and Noctis couldn’t help but run his fingers through it a bit, enjoying how soft it was to the touch.  The only time he usually got to do this was right after Prompto took a shower so it was nice.  After a few minutes, Noctis felt the pull of sleep himself, and he lay down next to Prompto, wrapping his arms around him securely as he also drifted off to sleep.  He looked forward to the days to come with his best friend ever at his side.


End file.
